PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF REWARD AND PUNISHMENT STRATEGIES BY HONG-KONG SECONDARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS

Perceived effectiveness of reward and punishment strategies used in Ho ng Kong secondary schools were investigated. A total of 371 male and f emale students from three Form 4 secondary schools responded to the re ward and punishment scenarios. Results indicated that effective strate gies are those that facilitate alternative behaviour. More punishment strategies used for poor behaviour were perceived as effective than th ose used for poor work. Gender and achievement levels had an effect on perception: Girls responded more to person oriented strategies than b oys while low achievers reported more strategies as ineffective than d id high achievers. Implication for pastoral practices were discussed.